While Still Learning Myself

Conversations with My Adult Children

My three children are young. Quite young. Too young in fact to be aware of so much of what I will be discussing on this blog.

And yet, I often find in the thoughts which compel my actions and choices, an ongoing conversation with my adult children. In my mind their images are hazy, rough sketches of what nature has revealed thus far about their fledgling qualities and traits. But their voices are clear and deliberate, and often they ask a loaded question –

“What have you taught me?”

Parenthood is a daily exercise in staying in the present. It’s a discipline in appreciating the unique and incredible formation of young humans, whose destinies will be molded, but in no way determined, by the adults who surround them.

But one day in the future, my children will ask me to give account of what I have taught them. In order for me to do this to the best of my ability, my thoughts which fill their minds presently must come from a place of great intentionality and perhaps most important of all, humility.

That we are carving out our own destinies with uncertainty while raising the next generation seems a rather precarious reality for the species. But this awareness has the power to create a wellspring of empathy, patience and companionship as well.

In all the ordinary moments of being a family, in the seemingly inconsequential activities of daily living, lies a deep and meaningful story between parent and child. Amidst the nursery rhymes, water colors and introductory lessons is the set-up for an incredible drama that has been and will continue to be the story of our people.

We are our children’s teachers, and yet without placing ourselves into the context of our time, and place, it seems the marrow of this incredible dynamic can be diminished. To be deliberate in what we teach to our children and why we teach our children these things seems essential to raising courageous and thoughtful adults.

I’m rather intimated to blog. But I hope it will compel me to continue to flesh out those thoughts and values which I hope my children carry with them into the future. That this may also lead to meaningful conversation with friends who share in our human story would be an incredible gift.

Nothing here will be overly personal. I am not planning on sharing specific stories about my family. But from a different perspective, this blog will be incredibly personal in the sense that the things I teach my children are a reflection of the truth and love which I feel for them and the world around.

So here we are. Things I teach my Children, while still learning myself.